Глава 10

Stop pretending you care about them more than I do.

Tell me. What is there in this small northern town for you to willingly stay here?

Kashchey, if I remember correctly, you preferred cities further south.

Not only because the air there is more humid, but also because lands where you cultivated generations of authority are more suitable for your scheming.

But not the tundra. The folk here lead a hard life. They have plenty to worry about sorting out issues with their food and harvest.

To them, the speeches you pride yourself on are like the artificial flower you wear. No purpose beyond aesthetics.

Talulah... Talulah.

What if I told you I'm here because your footsteps can be found in the tundra?

I'd say you're feeding me nonsense.

'The history of humanity is a history of struggle.'

You remember, don't you?

You applied everything that I taught you through the years to your struggle.

If you remember all of that, then shouldn't Talulah, the Fighter of the Tundra, and Talulah, the woman who succeeded the title of duke, be one and the same to me?

Yet you destroyed everything that I built in the tundra.

Did I?

Who do you truly blame for this series of fatal mistakes in your heart?

If you actually thought yourself innocent, you wouldn't have needed a year and a half to ponder how you should die.

The very moment your head turns, you will throw yourself into the next struggle.

Talulah, I know why you came to me.

You want to use your judgment on me to judge yourself. You want to hear me repent, so that you can start repenting yourself.

What you want is a tiny, pitiable bit of mental comfort.

Go on.

You want me to go on? I thought—

You thought I would let you witness my fury? No, Kashchey. You don't deserve it.

I've rehearsed everything you've said up to this very moment in my head, down to the very last word. A year and a half isn't that short, and I had nothing to do while I was imprisoned at Rhodes Island.

If you want to survive this meeting, you'll need to say something more original.

Very well. I can tell you've gotten more patient, thanks to that period of self-imprisonment.

But I brought up the tundra not because I wanted to provoke you.

Take a look at this school. Look at the students' faces.

They believe that the sunlight of may will melt the tundra's snow. They also believe that Ursus, colder and harder than even the tundra, will change beneath their feet.

So you're sullying their innocence with your despicable ideas?

You think I'm trying to find the next successor among them?

No, my dear. I'm just a normal university lecturer. The only things that I impart here are knowledge and ideas. I hold no authority or wealth.

If they want authority, they can fight for it themselves. If they seek a conspiracy, they are free to find the most suitable techniques in my lessons.

You want me to believe that the failure you experienced through me devastated you so much that you washed your hands of it all?

Failure? I never thought of that as failure.

Reunion was not destroyed in the Chernobog core city, and neither was Kashchey's plan.

Right, you managed to stop Kashchey. The war he sought, the war that could've changed Ursus history in an instant never came to be.

But Ursus still went on the trajectory that Kashchey had set for her.

War is happening. The conflict between the Council and the Army intensified, and the will of the people is sparking new flames through each and every conflict.

And I will stand atop the most fertile soil, sowing seeds to the best of my abilities.

I will guide... or perhaps I should say spur these revolutions to take root.

I remember you once refuted the education of the masses as meaningless.

If a ruler is so inflexible that she does not adapt to the changing tides, then she is undoubtedly following a path of destruction.

You still see yourself as a ruler. I see. You actually haven't changed at all.

I almost forgot you hated that word as much as you hated Kashchey's control. I told you long ago that I didn't care who was in charge.

How many times has power changed hands since the Ursus took these lands from the Hippogryphs?

Talulah, you are me, and I am you.

What we want... is an Ursus that can yet spark fires from our hands.

These fires... will sooner or later engulf all of Ursus. No, not just Ursus. Victoria... and all the other countries will be caught in the flames too.

When the fire is over, will these lands become more prosperous? Or will they be dealt destruction?

Ursus has walked its first millennium. I will guide it down its second and third. This is the meaning behind the Black Snake's existence.

The Black Snake is immortal not because I want to live, but because Ursus must live.

The Aslan heir has returned to Londinium?

It seems that way.

The Sarkaz gave us this information in exchange for the Sarkaz Messenger we returned to them.

'In exchange?'

They're merely using us to escalate the scuffle among the dukes.

It couldn't be more obvious, but we can also tell from their methods that the situation in Londinium has changed, and the Sarkaz are anxious.

Did the Sarkaz say anything else?

Nothing useful.

Hmph, ever since our spy's cover was blown, we haven't gotten much news from Londinium.

Unfortunate.

Right... it's unfortunate. Fortunately, our losses are still manageable.

Right, there is another piece of news that might be important.

We caught wind of this from a Columbian arms dealer we've worked with—

About a month ago, that organization called Reunion recovered their previous 'leader.'

You mean...

Talulah.

If all the information we've received thus far is correct, she... she could very well be a Draco.

Y-You havin' a laugh? N-No funnin' here, now?!

Why would I do that?

Gimme a slap.

I'm sorry?

Smack me right now. Otherwise, I might think I'm dreamin'!

There's a wall over there. Knock yourself out. Try not to ram it so hard you knock it down, though. Otherwise, you'll have some explaining to do to the county's mounted police.

I... I'm not sure what to say...

Are you really so shocked? You were the one who's been going 'Leader's got to be alive' day in and day out.

But I thought... I could...

You thought she'd be waiting for you to rescue her somewhere?

Uh-huh.

But it's more of a surprise, knowin' she made it out!

Thanks, Chenchen. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have met Rhodes Island. If I hadn't joined Rhodes Island, they wouldn't've helped get her out. I'm so happy, waaaaahhhhh...

No hugging!

Waaaahhh! But I'm so glad!

At the very least... a little less of a squeeze... Urgh...

Wait, Chenchen, does that mean... you're gonna leave then? You promised to help me rescue her, but she doesn't need me to rescue her anymore.

Times like these, you think pretty fast, don't you?

To tell you the truth, I've thought about it. Ever since I found out she'd escaped, I've been thinkin' of lookin' for her.

Actually, I can kinda tell...

Ch'en Hui-chieh never gives up halfway.

We've come so far, and finally found ourselves some clues.

Bagpipe, I'll get to the bottom of this with you. 'Until the day the spectre force is exposed for all to see again.' Only then will I do what I should've done long ago.

I will find Talulah.

Think, Talulah. Think with all the techniques that you learned from Kashchey whether everything that I say comes from the bottom of my heart.

No need.

Will you kill me here, then? You had to avoid the Royal Guard's watchful eyes, so you don't have a sword.

And so you must kill me with your flames. Will you commit such a horrifying crime in front of all my students, who have nothing but admiration for me?

If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't pick a method that would startle anyone.

Don't forget. You taught me all of this.